The welding process, incorporating rapid heating and cooling, generates distortion and
residual stress in weldments. Prediction and control of the thermal distortion is particularly
important for the design and manufacture of welded thin plate panel. This study aims to develop a
thermal elasto-plastic simulation using finite element method to predict distortion, with particular
emphasis on buckling deformation generated in a thin metal panel structure welded around hole. In
addition, experiments and computations are performed to analyze how hole configuration and the
size of the specimen effect distortion.